There’s very little not to love about Austin. The setting is impressive, the welcome is warm and the track is one of the best we visit all year. There are some very impressive corners and flowing complexes that challenge drivers, engineers and the technology we use. The power unit works in the mid to high range throughout the lap, with high average speeds and some very technical sections.

We will have our new specification of power unit available to use in Austin. The principal changes involve the internals of the ICE to give improved power and efficiency. We know that introducing the new PU will incur a grid penalty so the decision to use will be made in full consultation with the teams. At this point of the season obviously points are crucial so if circumstances allow then we will use on track.

Whatever spec we do use, we are looking forward to Austin. Our reliability has been good in the last three races and performance more in line with our expectations; both our teams just need a clean weekend to show the improved potential of both packages.

RENAULT 2015 FAST FACTS

The Circuit of the Americas was designed by circuit guru Hermann Tilke and includes homages to some of the greatest corners of the championship. The flowing section in Sector 1 is a replica of Silverstone's Maggots and Becketts complex, while the tight section that opens Sector 3 resembles Hockenheim's stadium section. The radial turns of 16 – 17 are a mirror image of Istanbul’s iconic Turn 8, which was also Tilke-designed.

The track is very demanding on the tyres, so engine engineers will work with the chassis teams to reduce wheelspin in the corners and tyre wear. With 20 corners in total, it’s crucial to make the balance as smooth as possible to lengthen tyre life.

The track runs anti-clockwise. This will put the drivers’ necks under pressure in the opposite way to ‘normal’ but it is not expected to pose any particular problem for the power units.

FOCUS ON…WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT AUSTIN

The USA Grand Prix is one of the most popular events on the calendar amongst the F1 fraternity. But why is that? We spoke to Renault Sport F1’s team leader for Scuderia Toro Rosso, Cedrik Staudohar to understand:

‘We’ve been to Austin just three times, but it’s already got classic status amongst the team. The track is incredibly impressive. When you see Turn 1 for the first time it really surprises you. It’s even steeper than the Raidillon at Spa as it climbs more quickly in a shorter distance. You know about it when you are doing the track walk – it looks like a wall rising up above you, and you are definitely breathless at the top. When you do manage to get there, you go into the complex of flowing fast turns. Along with Maggots-Beckett-Chapel at Silverstone and the Esses in Suzuka, it is one of the best sections of track of the season. Now there has been a lot more racing at the track the surface has rubbered in and I think every driver loves pushing through this complex, even though the first year we visited they compared it to a skating rink as there was so little grip!

‘The paddock is also particularly atmospheric. When you think of the States, you think larger than life, high tech…but the paddock buildings are quite old-style. Unlike some of the new tracks we visit like Abu Dhabi or Shanghai there are no huge buildings, sculpted gardens or giant hospitality units – we are in pre-fabricated buildings that look to have been put in place for the weekend. It’ seems a bit antiquated in comparison, but it just adds to the charm of the place.

‘Then of course we have the spectators. From the very first year the crowds have been amazing. Very passionate, vocal and lots of them, and it’s stayed the same year on year, which is great. There have been lots of Mexicans in the grandstands cheering for their drivers, which has made the atmosphere very good – we will see if there are as many this year as the Mexican Grand Prix is just one week later.

‘Then, last of all, we have the brilliant city of Austin. It’s a lively town and the people are very welcoming. Each night there’s a real party spirit and it gives a very festive ambiance – you feel like you are part of the community celebrating something huge. There are some excellent steakhouses too and a surf n’turf with local steak, crab and lobster is one of the highlights of the week. What’s not to love about that?’

Doesn't sound like RedBull are going to take the upgrade due to the grid penalty...if I was a driver I'd be wanting it anyway as these days cars tend to make their way through the field pretty well and then you've got that .25 of a second a lap for the next 3 races...

Imagine if RedBull, Torro Rosso and McLaren run them...Honda would need to build about 400 engines to get them through the season...

So the wise men at RedBull seem to think that ditching an engine that lacks some power and does not always finish the race and changing to one that has even less power and quite often does not finish free practice is a good idea

Doesn't sound like RedBull are going to take the upgrade due to the grid penalty...if I was a driver I'd be wanting it anyway as these days cars tend to make their way through the field pretty well and then you've got that .25 of a second a lap for the next 3 races...

By the looks of the weather forecast it wont matter if they keep the old spec engine and keep the new one for Mexico.

Doesn't sound like RedBull are going to take the upgrade due to the grid penalty...if I was a driver I'd be wanting it anyway as these days cars tend to make their way through the field pretty well and then you've got that .25 of a second a lap for the next 3 races...

By the looks of the weather forecast it wont matter if they keep the old spec engine and keep the new one for Mexico.

Doesn't sound like RedBull are going to take the upgrade due to the grid penalty...if I was a driver I'd be wanting it anyway as these days cars tend to make their way through the field pretty well and then you've got that .25 of a second a lap for the next 3 races...

By the looks of the weather forecast it wont matter if they keep the old spec engine and keep the new one for Mexico.

Seems to sort of sum Nico's season, in a leading position and just hands the win over. Plus the 1st corner overtake was "very aggressive" and "not ok". How memories are short, not ok like in Monaco when you force quali to end by parking your car in a position where there is no alternative but to yellow flag the session and prevent anyone putting in a potential pole time.

The Circuit of the Americas was the venue for one of the most exciting races in recent memory today. A drying track gave rise to multiple battles up and down the field, including at the very sharp end.Infiniti Red Bull Racing traded the lead with Mercedes on several occasions in the first part of the race, with both Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat heading the field.Ultimately, however, it was Scuderia Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen who secured the highest-placed finish for Renault power in fourth position.Carlos Sainz was an impressive seventh after starting from the rear of the grid, while Daniel Ricciardo came home in tenth.Key race points:• Infiniti Red Bull Racing battled for the lead in the first part of the race. Daniil Kvyat muscled into second at the start, with Daniel Ricciardo third. A battle with the two Mercedes spanned the two virtual safety car periods, with all four drivers taking the lead at various points with a range of stunning moves.• As the track dried, the Red Bull duo dropped back down the order and a late stop under the third safety car put them to the tail end of the top ten.• Kvyat went off track on lap 41. The change in grip spun him across the circuit and into the barriers, causing an immediate retirement.• After showing a strong pace in the first part of the race and battling for the lead, Ricciardo dropped down to seventh and into the intense fight for position with both Toro Rossos and McLarens. At one point he lost out to Alonso and then the Sauber of Nasr, but he clawed back to P10 on the last lap with a move on the McLaren.• Max Verstappen stayed in the top ten for the race, swapping positions with the Ferraris, McLarens and his team-mate. He was in P3 in the last third of the race having taken full advantage of the safety car periods to change tyres, but was taken by Sebastian Vettel on newer tyres on lap 47.• Carlos Sainz started from the rear of the grid following an accident in the morning’s qualifying session, but was already in the top ten by lap 8. He was caught in the intense battle for sixth but lost to Button.Rémi Taffin, Director of Operations:We had a trouble free weekend with the power units, demonstrating that the choices made here were the right ones. The grid positions were very promising and we enjoyed a very strong first part of the race for both teams. Red Bull was very quick on the intermediate tyres in the wet but struggled to extract full performance out of the dry tyres. Toro Rosso put in a resilient performance with a very good fourth place from Max. Congratulations to Lewis for another title and yet more records.Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director:Today’s USA Grand Prix deserves to be remembered as a classic. We had fights for the lead, battles up and down the top ten, changing conditions and ultimately a World Champion at the end. We would like to extend our congratulations to Lewis for his third title. From our perspective, what’s more important is that we were in those fights, first with the Red Bulls for the lead, and then with Toro Rosso for the podium. Equally critical is the reliability, which was again extremely good all weekend. With three races remaining, we now need to maintain this level until the end.

Seems to sort of sum Nico's season, in a leading position and just hands the win over. Plus the 1st corner overtake was "very aggressive" and "not ok". How memories are short, not ok like in Monaco when you force quali to end by parking your car in a position where there is no alternative but to yellow flag the session and prevent anyone putting in a potential pole time.

Nico never seems to learn. He should know by now that if he lets Lewis get down the inside of him, then he's going to be ran out of road.

Lets also not forget how Lewis ended up down his inside at T1. Lewis made the better start. Again.

That said, it must be frustrating for Nico. He's actually the only driver to have beaten Michael Schumacher in equal machinery - no mean feat. But Lewis has made him look more like Berger to Hamilton's Senna, or Patrase to Hamilton's Mansell than a genuine title rival

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